Every Friday, I’ll be reviewing the past week's HiveWord puzzles. The review will include a summary of the words' difficulty, solution rates, attempts and obscurity.
If you are new to HiveWord or would like some hints and tips for solving this puzzle, you can find more information at the end of this post.
The table below lists the previous seven days' HiveWords along with their difficulty, solve rate, average attempts and score.
| Day | Word | Difficulty | Solved | Attempts | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri | CHASE | Moderate | 100% | 3.53 | 83 |
| Sat | BARKS | Hard | 81.3% | 4.69 | 71 |
| Sun | ZONED | Difficult | 80% | 5.33 | 58 |
| Mon | RINKS | Hard | 90.5% | 4.42 | 79 |
| Tue | TORCH | Moderate | 100% | 4.05 | 61 |
| Wed | DOVES | Hard | 72.2% | 4.62 | 78 |
| Thu | CHAPS | Moderate | 100% | 3.90 | 70 |
HiveWord provides the puzzle's difficulty and other measures except for the score.
The score is a measure of how often the word's letters appear in the puzzle's words over time.
I calculated the scores using a simple Python script, which you can download from the Programs section of Learning Pages Digital Products.
The hardest word
The hardest word for me and some other players was DOVES, with a 72.2% solve rate. Its score wasn't low because the letters D, O, E and S contributed 77 of 78 points.
Once you reach this combination of letters, you would have needed up to another eight tries to solve this puzzle.
Obscurity
A low score doesn't necessarily mean that the word is obscure. TORCH has a low score, but its meaning is well known.
Even the solve rate isn't the best indicator of obscurity because some puzzles can be solved using logic.
The best guide to a word's obscurity is whether you have to look up its meaning in the dictionary.
I didn't think any of these seven words were obscure, but let me know if any are new to you.
Observations
HiveWord accepts words as valid that may not be on the solution list. I may have made a mistake and wasted an attempt by submitting DOGE.
Meaning
A doge (pronounced 'dohj') was a chief magistrate who ruled certain Italian city-states, like Venice and Genoa.
Origin
The word comes from the Venetian and Italian doge, derived from the Latin dux, meaning 'leader' or 'commander'.
Modern usage
The word is also associated with the famous internet meme featuring a Shiba Inu dog, which inspired the name of the cryptocurrency Dogecoin.
Python script updates
More letter-frequency data.
About HiveWord
How to play
HiveWord is a word puzzle similar to the New York Times' Wordle where you have six attempts to guess the day's five-letter word.
- Enter a valid five-letter word. Letters can be reused.
- Click 'Enter'.
HiveWord then provides feedback on your attempt by changing the tiles' colour.
In this example: T and S are part of the solution and are in the correct position; L is one of the solution's letters but isn't in the right position; P and O aren't part of the solution.
You can also have HiveWord reveal a vowel and a consonant if you need additional clues.
Unlike Wordle, which resets at midnight local time, HiveWord resets at 00:00 UTC.
Hints and tips
Many experts recommend that you start with a word that eliminates or verifies as many letters as possible.
The New York Times recommends STARE, but you might want to use a word ending in S to check whether the word is plural or a third-person singular verb (e.g. she walks, he walks). Note that a word can still be plural even if it doesn't end in S.
It's also useful to have a backup word in case none of the letters in your first attempt are part of the solution.
Some people use a completely different word for their second attempt, even if some letters in the first attempt were part of the solution.
CLING is an example where every letter is different from STARE. This strategy increases your chance of solving the puzzle, but it reduces the probability of solving in two or possibly three attempts.
Note: other combinations are likely to be more efficient.
Some valid words are not on the list of solution words.
I use high-score words when I start solving the puzzle to eliminate as many letters as possible. Below is a list of HiveWord's current top ten letters to help you create your starter word:
- S
- E
- T
- R
- L
- A
- I
- P
- N
- O
I wouldn't recommend using duplicate letters on your first attempt, as it can hinder elimination.
If you get stuck, take a break and let your subconscious solve the puzzle.
Don't assume that a word is obscure if it has been rated 'Hard' or 'Difficult'. I've made this mistake several times.
If you are using a computer when you are solving Hive Word, use the cursor to select the letters. If you use the keyboard, it's very easy to miss the previous feedback.
Be careful with the words you enter because HiveWord accepts some very obscure words which are never the solution.
Please note that these hints and tips are based on my own limited experience and may not work for all solutions.
Acknowledgements
Cover image generated by ChatGPT.
Sources
HiveWord
Chambers English Dictionary
